That Was Then, This Is Now
by vausesandspanishharlem
Summary: Hanna and Caleb have been separated for two years until a chance meeting at a New Years Eve party brings them back together. How the time jump should turn out in my opinion! Also includes the girls, Ella, and Ashley.


**So this is my New Years one-shot! Hope you like, love, read, review, and enjoy!**

 _"Goodbye, Hanna…I love you," were his last words after he kissed her lips until she was dizzy and gasping for air. His footsteps got farther and farther away as she cried out for him._

 _"Caleb! We can work this out! Please!" Hanna was blind with tears as she tried to run and catch up to him. She stumbled in her step and gave up; it was too late. He loved her more than any other girl he'd dated, but he couldn't be with someone who didn't make time for their relationship. He wished that he had given her one more chance to apologize to him and really try to make up for all the missed dinner plans and skipping movie nights to work with her overfriendly partner…but she had moved back to New York, never to be seen again. Her heartbroken plea remained in his mind forever…_

TWO YEARS LATER

"She shouldn't have left!" Caleb exclaimed, throwing down the faded picture of him and Hanna sitting on a bench in a park. "I didn't mean I wanted her out of my life! Why did she have to leave to another state? That's being a bit theatrical if you ask me!"

"Really?" Spencer asked. "So I should expect the guy I love to kick me out because he's jealous of someone I work with? Should I wait around and see if he changes his mind? Caleb, you dumped her! What else was she supposed to do?"

"Shut up, Spence!" he growled.

"You were ranting. I had to say something! I'm gonna add something else. You let her go when you said you wouldn't. What the fuck? Look, it's too late now…but you're gonna have to find someone else and not repeat the same mistakes you made with Hanna."

"What should I have done then, huh? She left me! She was a workaholic and she…got along with this dude way better than she did with me."

"You should've fought harder for your girl."

"Ugh, I'm the stupidest man alive!"

"She wasn't making it easy for you, I know…but sometimes people just grow apart."

"Get out!" Caleb hid his face in his hands and started to shake with sadness. "I'm such an idiot…"

"Hanna, you fucking bitch! Clean up this goddamn mess!" Jordan roared at his girlfriend of two years. "You burned my shit again!"

Things wear out over time and then get sold to the less fortunate or there's a garage sale. Broken technology or parts of a vehicle are tossed in the junkyard. Food gets old within weeks and has to be thrown away. People though, people can last forever, under good circumstances. In Hanna Marin's case, two year of her existence have been disastrous even though she had a warm bed to sleep in at night, clothes on her back, and three healthy meals per day. In fact, everyone around her thought she lead a perfect life. They couldn't be more wrong. Ever since she'd moved to New York because of her ex, her life had been a nightmare. She would have rather been a single lady for the rest of her life if she'd known what moving to another state would do to her. It wore her out and made her more broken than she'd ever been in her whole life. She'd take Caleb's throwing her out of their apartment her a thousand times over to avoid Jordan and the control he had over her. Hanna was twenty-three now and still out of a good job. She wanted to be high up in the fashion industry but no, her nasty boyfriend wouldn't allow it. He had acted really nice in the beginning when she was crying over who she thought was her true love, but as the months and years went by, he had gotten crueler and even beat her within an inch of her life. It started with his mocking her every word, "I'm so pathetic and sad because the guy I was dreaming of marrying dumped me!" Next came the name-calling. "Hanna, you worthless pathetic slut, get over here and make my dinner in five seconds flat!" Black eyes were common; bruises, scars, and scrapes were forever being found on her person when she went to the hospital. She had to tell them she fell down the stairs. Other than the weekly hospital visits, she couldn't go out. She was caged in the house, just like a wild animal, but the only difference was that she was so quiet in the house, you wouldn't know she was there. She screamed and cried when he hit her, but while she did her daily chores for him, she was silent as a church mouse. She had no idea how he got to be so mean, but he was.

Sex hurt so badly the first night, and all the nights after. It got worse and worse. Sometimes, he practiced S&M on her and she would suffer from a broken limb as a result of him being too rough with her. She was delicate and easily broken. Hanna cried softly as she gathered up the broken pieces of Jordan's wine glass into a dustpan and threw them in the trash. He sat there at the table, across from her, sniggering as she wiped her eyes with the palms of her hands.

"You're such a fucking baby…get up!"

Hanna struggled to stand. She was so tired from standing up all day, cooking every meal he demanded, that once she reached her full height, she collapsed, halfway on a chair and then slipped back down on the floor. "I'm sorry…I-I can't," she mumbled weakly with tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Come on, you disgusting piece of shit!" He stormed over to where she was and kicked her across the room. She rolled over a few times, sat up dizzily, and looked up at him.

"Please, don't hurt me…it's almost Christmas!" she begged. _Five years since the time he broke up with me…_

"Who gives a damn? You want Christmas? I dress up as Santa Claus, you sit on my lap and tell me what you want, and give me a lap dance! Then you make cookies for me and my friends while we have our way with you! You're a rotten slave, that's what you are!" He pulled her up by her hair as she shrieked with pain and he shoved her on the couch. "Filthy rat!" The blow struck the side of her face so hard that blood streamed down her cheek and chin. So many bloodstains were on the floor, mixing with her tears…she was enduring so much torture…when he was finally finished with her, the phone rang. He grumbled, pulled himself out of her, and answered the phone rudely.

"Yeah, who's this?" His tone changed to one of faked politeness. "Oh…hello, Mr. Montgomery…your wife is throwing a party? I can take my wife? Wonderful! All the way in Rosewood, Pennsylvania? Well, you're the boss, so you get to decide where the party is…oh, nonsense, it should be you who chooses, you are the man of the house…okay, see you then, bye!"

Hanna's ears perked up at the mention of her old hometown and her former best friend's last name. Would Caleb still be there? Did he move on to someone else like she had? _Oh my God, what if he doesn't even remember me?_ She took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"Hanna!" he shouted, startling her out of her thoughts. "We're going to my boss' New Years Eve party and we have to bring gifts for the gift grab…boring, I know, but this is my boss…I gotta do what he says! You're packing our suitcases…ordering our tickets for the plane…cleaning up the house spick and span…while I go out to get the presents. Goodbye!" He slammed the door shut in her face and then she got to work. When he returned home, she answered the door, wearing a sparkly black skirt and a red blouse she was planning to have on for the party.

"You look like a drab loser, but whatever, no matter what you wear, I'll look better," he snickered and dumped the sports jersey in her hands. "It's from me, nothing will be from you!" he cackled evilly. "You're going empty-handed!"

Hanna shook her head. She'd secretly packed photos of her and Caleb when they were younger and sometimes she even wore his clothes he'd given her before when they were best friends.

She sat on her suitcase and cried until Jordan kicked her off.

* * *

"Caleb, what is your deal? It's like you're not even into me anymore!" his new girlfriend Kristina freaked out in his face one night. "You won't even take me to the dance? It's Mike and Mona Montgomery…they have a mansion, remember?

He liked the Montgomerys, but he just didn't feel it with Kristina. "Look, Kris…there's been so many things on my mind, but to make it up to you, I'll go with you that night."

"Really? Yay, yay, a thousand times yay!" Kristina squealed in his face, much too loud for his liking. She was plastic, Hanna was real…Hanna was quiet and considerate of people's feelings besides her own…Hanna was supposed to be his, but he stupidly let her get away.

Caleb brought a silver, sparkly necklace for the gift grab because something in him made him think he would get a woman he picked randomly out of a hat. He dressed in a black suit and red tie to match the red stripes of Kristina's candy cane dress. He rarely, if ever, kissed her, and they drove to the party in silence. He was happy to find out Emily, Spencer, Aria, and her new boyfriend Liam were going as well.

Jordan slept on the plane the whole time and was rude to everyone, so rude he almost got thrown off.

"I'm not getting up to tell you what I want to drink!" he yelled.

"I'm sorry for his behavior," Hanna apologized, embarrassed. "Water with no ice, please."

The flight attendant handed her water and she sipped it. "Thank you."

"Just one night and then we go back!" Jordan grunted, half asleep.

They got in at five in the evening and Hanna shouted for a taxi. She had to pay for the whole thing because Jordan on purpose didn't bring money with him. He snuggled with her in the back of the cab and pretended to be nice, but once they got out, he dragged her to the Montgomerys' door and pushed her against it so it would make a sound, like a knock.

"Ow," Hanna groaned.

"Oops," Jordan chuckled as the door opened. "Hello, Mr. Montgomery!"

"Party's about to begin," Mike said with a smile. "Come in, come in, out of the cold, you guys." Aria appeared behind him and took their coats and presents. Hanna's eyes widened when she saw her old friend.

"Hanna, is that you?" she asked in astonishment.

"Yes…I moved to New York for a fresh start, but look where that got me!" she whispered. "Living with _him_ is a nightmare! It's bad enough that I'm his girlfriend!"

"Oh, come here!" Aria gasped at the sight of one of her best friends looking worn out and badly hurt. Hanna hugged her and buried her face into Aria chest, crying her heart out.

"Women," Jordan laughed. "So emotional! I'll let your sister take care of her."

"They knew each other…well that's a happy reuinion right there," Mike said. "Oh, goody, more guests are coming!"

Spencer and Emily walked in the already open door and looked around in amazement at all the colored and white lights that adorned the windows and the huge tree that was decorated with pretty ornaments and a gold star at the top. One of the guys shook hands with Mike. "Hey, old buddy!" Spencer and Emily went to join the women. "Aria!"

Aria looked up and turned Hanna to face them. "Look, there's our best friend!"

"Spencer, Emily!" Hanna cheered. She jumped in their arms and they spun around. "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!"

"You too, girl! I've missed you so much!" Emily cried.

"Yeah, same here!" Spencer chimed in.

All three of them had tears in their eyes, both of joy and sadness. Hanna missed them terribly and they were lost without her.

"You should meet my new guy, Liam!" Aria said. "He's over there, talking to my brother and Mona."

"They're still together, after all these years?"

"Yeah."

"What happened with Ezra?"

"He's traveling the world with Nicole. They make a really cute couple, actually. I hope he doesn't fuck her over."

"Aria and Liam are very happy together!" Spencer said.

Hanna was glad for her friend, but she only wished that Jordan could love her the same way Liam seemed to be smitten with Aria.

Ella texted Ashley that her daughter was at the Montgomery's party. She was waiting for a response when she was tapped from behind.

"Are you sure you're my boss' mother?" a man in his thirties asked.

Ella raised her eyebrow at him. "Excuse me?"

"I thought you were his older sister or something."

"Didn't you…come in with Hanna?"

"Hanna who?" He snaked his arm around her shoulders and grabbed her breasts. "I'm Jordan."

"You're a creep!" Ella yelled as she shakily pushed him off her, gave him the finger, and walked away. She bit her lip and shook her head while she readjusted her dress. She wondered how she could tell her best friend's daughter that her boyfriend was a douchebag.

* * *

Hanna's friends knew Caleb was coming, but they didn't tell Hanna that because it would need to be a pleasant surprise, better than any present their friend would be given that night. By six, the room was so crowded that when Caleb finally showed up with his girl, he couldn't see anyone familiar among the sea of faces. He set his gift on the table where many presents lay and danced his and Kristina's way through the crowd. Aria spotted him and guided Hanna away to the bathroom. Spencer went to find Caleb.

"What are we doing?" Hanna asked tearfully. She sniffled and kept her arm around Aria.

"Touching up your makeup. You're okay now…you're back and ready to party!"

"Yeah." Hanna nodded and managed a smile. Aria fixed her hair and Hanna smoothed down her own skirt. It was slightly wrinkled from the plane trip. Aria gave her a small makeover and Hanna smiled at herself in the mirror. "I'm back," she agreed with a giggle. "Thank you!"

"Anytime," Aria responded, happy to see her friend excited again.

"Girl, you rock, especially in that green dress!"

"Thanks, Han." Linking arms, they walked out together. Everyone danced crazily to the hot songs for about an hour and then it was time for a slow dance. The boss hired a DJ, and Aria loved a song that would make Caleb and Hanna realize they were meant for each other and she wanted them to remember everything they had up until that night.

" _Last_ _Kiss_ by Taylor Swift, please," she requested.

The DJ nodded and Aria ran back to Liam. He put his arms around her waist and held her close. She smiled at Hanna, who was wrapped in Jordan' arms possessively and then at Caleb who was looking down at Kristina, dumbstruck. Mona and Mike gazed in each other's eyes with pure love. The couples spun around to the music. She noticed Aria's mom glaring in their direction and she wasn't exactly sure why. Hanna hummed the lyrics but then stopped when Jordan hissed at her to shut up and dug his fingernails into her arms. She blinked back tears as she heard the words.

 _I still remember the look on your face_

 _Lit through the darkness at 1:58_

 _The words that you whispered_

 _For just us to know_

 _You told me you loved me_

 _So why did you go away?_

 _Away_

"Yeah, fuck me!" Caleb muttered. Kristina looked at him quizzically but then let it go. It was one of his personal problems, she thought.

 _I do recall now the smell of the rain_

 _Fresh on the pavement_

 _I ran off the plane_

 _That July 9th_

 _The beat of your heart_

 _It jumps through your shirt_

 _I can still feel your arms_

Hanna whimpered and tried not to cry, but it was so hard thinking about the last time she and Caleb thought of each other. She needed his comfort, but it wasn't there. It would never be there…

 _But now I'll go sit on the floor_

 _Wearing your clothes_

 _All that I know is_

 _I don't know how to be something you miss_

 _I never thought we'd have a last kiss_

 _Never imagined we'd end like this_

 _Your name, forever the name on my lips_

"Hanna…" Caleb whispered low under his breath so Kristina wouldn't hear. "I miss you…"

 _I do remember the swing of your step_

 _The life of the party, you're showing off again_

 _And I roll my eyes and then_

 _You pull me in_

 _I'm not much for dancing_

 _But for you I did_

Hanna thought of how he used to dance with her, twirl her around, make her laugh…she was in high spirits when she was with him. But now, all she had were memories. She thought she was so lucky…their relationship was too good to be true.

 _Because I love your handshake, meeting my father_

 _I love how you walk with your hands in your pockets_

 _How you kissed me when I was in the middle of saying something_

 _There's not a day I don't miss those rude interruptions_

He loved cutting her off with a kiss. It was in his romantic nature. He wanted her in his arms, not anyone else. If only she was at the party…he could run and grab her and kiss her, no matter if she protested or stayed.

 _And I'll go sit on the floor_

 _Wearing your clothes_

 _All that I know is_

 _I don't know how to be something you miss_

 _Never thought we'd have a last kiss_

 _Never imagined we'd end like this_

 _Your name, forever the name on my lips_

"Caleb," Hanna sobbed so it was intelligible and Jordan couldn't understand her words.

 _So I'll watch your life in pictures like I used to watch you sleep_

 _And I feel you forget me like I used to feel you breathe_

 _And I keep up with our old friends just to ask them how you are_

 _Hope it's nice where you are_

No place was nice without her. Having her around really brightened the rainy town of Rosewood. Now that she was gone, he felt cold…lost without her.

 _And I hope the sun shines_

 _And it's a beautiful day_

 _And something reminds you_

 _You wish you had stayed_

 _You can plan for a change in weather and time_

 _But I never planned on you changing your mind_

Fucking Caleb…he could never make up his mind of whether he wanted to stay with her or leave…but she had to go. She had to make him miss something. Her heart broke with each lyric. At least Taylor Swift felt her pain.

 _So I'll go sit on the floor_

 _Wearing your clothes_

 _All that I know is_

 _I don't know how to be something you miss_

 _Never thought we'd have a last kiss_

 _Never imagined we'd end like this_

 _Your name, forever the name on my lips_

Jordan caught Kristina's eye and a horny feeling crossed through him. His dick sprang up, along with Hanna's gaze which was previously on her shoes, and Hanna spotted Caleb within a few feet away. She gulped and started feeling flushed. A nervous feeling spread through Caleb as he let go of Kristina so she could walk to Jordan and start dancing with him. Hanna looked so beautiful tonight, as she had many times before when they were together. Hanna turned around so she wouldn't have to face Caleb, but he wrapped his arms around her waist. Hanna glanced up at him and sighed. "You won't let me go, will you?"

"Never. Not this time," he promised and circled her around to look at him. "I'm so sorry, Hanna."

 _Just like our last kiss_

 _Forever the name on my lips_

 _Forever the name on my lips_

 _Just like our last…_

"I love you, my darling, I was just too afraid to admit it," he whispered, kissing her lips. "Your partner is cheating on you with mine."

Hanna melted into his touch. "Jordan is an abusive bastard. I'm glad to get rid of him. So, did you get jealous of who she was spending time with too?" she asked, suddenly angry.

"Hanna, come on…I was never in love with Kristina or anyone else but you. Now that I have you, we can be together forever. I wanna marry you and everything! I wanna have your babies…my lovely girl." He stroked her hair and rocked her gently from side to side as she sobbed against his shoulder.

"You don't know how much that means to me. So can we make it official now?"

"Yes, now we can tell everyone," he allowed her.

"I told my best friends already."

"It's okay if they knew about this."

"You are mine, and only I am yours."

"That's right. So how is your family?"

"They're great, but they're sick of me moping around about letting you go two years ago."

"I shouldn't have ran," Hanna murmured guiltily. "It's just that it was the first thing on my mind…and you didn't come after me, so I thought you never loved me after all."

"I'm so sorry," Caleb said.

"No, it's me who needs to apologize. I took you for granted. I won't ever do it again. I promise."

"I forgive you." He took her by the hand and together, they walked over to the gifts table. He handed her his gift and held her as she unwrapped it. She smiled and blushed when he put the necklace on her. "You look so beautiful, baby girl."

Hanna bit her lip. "Thank you, and you're so handsome…I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

"That was a great song. I love Taylor Swift!"

"I know," Caleb said and nuzzled noses with his love. "You're so special to me, honey, that I know everything about you. We both made mistakes that night, but now, they can be forgotten because we're reunited."

Hanna smiled and then she saw her mom and Ella talking with each other. "Oh, will you excuse me, please? I need to say hey to my mom! I haven't seen her in forever! She thinks Jordan is charming, so I have to convince her that he's not. It won't be too hard."

"Go ahead!"

* * *

"Mom, hi!" Hanna said excitedly and gave Ashley a hug.

"Hey, sweetheart!"

"I'm delighted that you're back with Caleb because Jordan's disgusting! Besides, I always wanted Caleb for my little girl."

"You know that Jordan...wait, Mrs. Montgomery, why were you looking at us weird?"

"He hit on me and it was so uncomfortable. I wanted to say something, but it looks like everything's been resolved. I just hope he doesn't break another poor girl's heart. You don't look too sad...how come?"

"Good riddance to him, then! He also hurt me physically."

The older women gasped in horror. "Well, you're safe now, and that's great!" Ashley said.

"I hope his new girlfriend whips him into shape!" Ella added.

* * *

The boss made a toast to Hanna and Caleb and at the end of the party, she went home with him, but not before thanking Aria, Spencer, and Emily profusely for bringing them back together. She was overjoyed that Jordan had run off with Kristina to New York, both never to be seen again.

Caleb and Hanna laid side by side on his bed. He caressed her cheek, leaving a trail of blushes where he touched. She blinked slowly and then he kissed her and made her moan all over again. He gave her flowers from his garden and made her swoon all over again. She was free and happy with him, and he was sure of his feelings for her. They went on many dates before their wedding and had gorgeous children whom they loved and doted upon. Their story would be told until they died, and it was the best and most romantic one ever.

 **HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAVE AN AWESOME NEW YEAR! Thank you for beta'ing, Emilie2601!**


End file.
